We present a design of plasmonic cavities that consists of two sets of 1-D plasmonic crystal reflectors on a plasmonic trench waveguide. A 'reverse image mold' (RIM) technique was developed to pattern high-resolution silver trenches and to embed emitters at the cavity field maximum, and FDTD simulations were performed to analyze the frequency response of the fabricated devices. Distinct cavity modes were observed from the photoluminescence spectra of the organic dye embedded within these cavities. The cavity geometry facilitates tuning of the modes through a change in cavity dimensions. Both the design and the fabrication technique presented could be extended to making trench waveguide-based plasmonic devices and circuits.
Recently, significant research efforts have been made to develop complex nanostructures to provide more sophisticated control over the optical and electronic properties of nanomaterials. However, there are only a handful of semiconductors that allow control over their geometry via simple chemical processes. Herein, we present a molecularly seeded synthesis of a complex nanostructure, {SiC} tetrapods, and report on their structural and optical properties. The {SiC} tetrapods exhibit narrow line width photoluminescence at wavelengths spanning the visible to near-infrared spectral range. Synthesized from low-toxicity, earth abundant elements, these tetrapods are a compelling replacement for technologically important quantum optical materials that frequently require toxic metals such as Cd and Se. This previously unknown geometry of {SiC} nanostructures is a compelling platform for biolabeling, sensing, spintronics, and optoelectronics.
Epitaxial {ZnO} thin films were grown on single crystalline Au microplates from an aqueous solution at 90 {°C.} The composite structures were approximately 100 ?m wide. The epitaxial {ZnO} films were smooth, continuous, and several micrometers thick. We examined the epitaxial relationship between the {ZnO} and Au through scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and electron diffraction and demonstrated control over the resulting film morphology through the kinetics of growth. An epitaxial relationship of {ZnO[11?00](0002)?Au[21?1?](111)} was dominant in the structures.